CEDM News: “Edison Revisited: Should we use DC circuits for lighting in commercial buildings?” recently published by Thomas, Azevedo, and Morgan
In “Edison Revisited: Should we use DC circuits for lighting in commercial buildings?”, Thomas et al. find that DC lighting systems for commercial buildings lead to limited lifetime cost savings compared with AC lighting systems, except when used with solar PV. However, DC building circuits lower capital costs, can lower installation costs with low-voltage DC, and have some power quality benefits, which might encourage building owners to make these investments. More research on DC power electronics and safety standards with DC is needed to support a transition in DC circuits.
